Red, Yellow, and Blue?
by kaitouahiru
Summary: Near is tired of Mello calling him an albino runt. Near decides to do something about it. Near dyes his hair blue.


Red, Yellow- and Blue?  
A Wammy's Day Oneshot  
Prequel to: He Just Strolled In and Dancing Princess, Where To Do You Go?

Disclaimer: I no own.

* * *

"_Albino runt,"_

Albino runt. Albino _runt_. _Albino_ runt. _Albino runt. _The first time Mello had said it, he didn't like it. He got used to it. As it went on, it got annoying. Eventually, it began to irritate him. Now, he was pissed. He couldn't change being a "runt." He couldn't change that part of him- at least not for another few years- so he was short_._ What was wrong with being short? He was younger then Mello. He hadn't even reached his teen years. He was only ten.

"You shouldn't let Mello get to you," Linda said.

Near pretended to ignore her, playing with his robots. He closed his eyes, not to hold back tears, but to think. He couldn't do anything about being a "runt" but he could do something about being an albino.

"Linda, what do you know about hair dye?" Near asked, opening his eyes. He wouldn't normally ask the girl about anything except for small gossip that she would usually tell without him asking but this was important. He needed to make a move on the theortical chess game he and Mello were playing that Mello wouldn't suspect.

"Hair dye?" she asked.

* * *

His hair was... blue. His hair was blue. His hair was really, really blue. Near stared at his reflection. Maybe it had been a better idea in theory. He shouldn't have done this. How was he going to go out with _blue_ _hair_? Near closed his eyes, thinking that this time, he might actually cry.

What had he been thinking?

He hadn't let Linda seen the results of the dye. After a few minutes of complaining and knocking loudly at the door, she gave up and left.

What had he been thinking?

Was there a way to reverse the process? He wasn't comfortable with_ blue_ hair. He wanted to be an albino. Why had he let Mello get to him in the first place? Near was number _one_. Mello was number _two_. Nothing Mello said should have mattered to Near.

But it did. But why did it matter?

"Near?" that voice wasn't Linda's- it was Matt's voice. What was Matt doing in his room, knocking on his bathroom door?

"What are you doing here, Matt? Shouldn't you be with Mello?"

"Linda asked me to come. She said something was wrong and you wouldn't come out," Near rolled his eyes and frowned. He should have known that instantly- but he wasn't thinking clearly lately. He stared into the mirror. The blue hair was he proof.

"Do I have to pick the lock or are you going to come out by yourself and save me the trouble?"

"Why do you care?" Near asked.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Why do you?"

"Because I can. Now open the door or I'll kick it open," Near sighed, silently opting not to tell Matt that that hadn't been one of the choices earlier and he opened the door.

"Are you happy now?" he asked. He could see Matt's eyebrows raise.

"Uh... wow," Matt said, the cigarette in his mouth dropping to the floor. Near frowned and picked it up, noting that it wasn't lit, nor was it a cigarette.

"Why does Mello let you walk around with the end of a lollipop in your mouth like a cigarette?" Near asked.

"Mello doesn't _let_ me do anything," Matt frowned. "I can think for myself."

"You're a puppy dog,"

"You're a- well, you _were _an albino," Matt frowned. "Why did you dye your hair? Did Mello actually get under your skin?" Near didn't answer. Instead, he returned to the mirror that showed his blue hair.

Why did something that Mello said matter to Near?

Because more and more recently, Near was beginning to see Matt with Mello and Mello with Matt- he was beginning to see them together. It bothered him. Mello had a friend. Near didn't have a friend- not how Matt was to Mello. Matt was always one step behind Mello, ready to back him up, ready to do anything for him.

"May I ask you something?" Near asked, sitting on the edge of the bath tub.

"You just did but sure," Matt said, sitting down next to him.

"Why do you follow him like-"

"Like a 'puppy dog'?" Matt supplied.

"Like you love him," Near said.

"Why, you jealous?"

"Yes,"

"I... was... not expecting that," Matt said.

"I'm not jealous that you're with him..." Near clarified. "Just that-"

"I'm his puppy dog?" Matt said. "Near, there wouldn't be me without Mello."

"So if you didn't meet Mello-"

"Then I'd have died long ago," Matt said.

"Aren't you a little young to be saying that?" Near asked. Matt shrugged.

"We're genuises. We're going to be L. We're L successors. Aren't we a little young to be so serious about a job?" Matt asked. "It's the same thing... so you really dyed your hair because of Mello and my relationship?"

"I suppose I did," Near said.

"You know, there wouldn't be any Mello without Near," Matt said, standing up.

"What are you saying?"

"That... don't get me wrong- he's mine..." Matt said. "But Mello wouldn't be who he was without you being you." He began to walk to the door, his hand on the door knob before Near's voice stopped him.

"There definitely wouldn't be a Mello without Matt... whether Near would be here or not," Near said.

"Don't... take him so seriously," Matt said gruffly. "And come out and eat. I can't miss Mello's face when you make your move. Besides, you can't miss class and meals for however long it takes for the dye to come out."

* * *

"Where were you?" Mello asked.

"Linda asked me to check on something," Matt shrugged, sitting down at the table with a tray of food.

"What?" Mello asked.

"You'll see... and give him a break," Matt said.

"Give who a break?" Mello asked. His question was answered when Near walked out into the hallway. Mello's jaw dropped and Matt smirked. Near caught the smirk and gave a small one back.

Check and mate.

* * *

Me: I was thinking about this story and I realized something besides the fact that if Near changed his hair color to blue, you'd have the primary colors; their hair colors are the color of Japan's flag. Am I the only one to realize this so late in the game?

Near: Please review.


End file.
